


Apprehension

by notjustmom



Series: Ironstrange [30]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Established Tony Stark/Stephen Strange, Fluff, M/M, hospital fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 20:15:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18239699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/pseuds/notjustmom
Summary: apprehension: anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen.





	Apprehension

**Author's Note:**

> In this verse, Tony and Stephen are together when he gets the remains of the shrapnel removed.

Tony cleared his throat and Stephen turned from the window and tried to smile at him. "I wish you were doing the procedure."

Stephen walked over to the bed and sat down in the chair next to him, taking his hand in both of his. "You know I can't, even if my hands would let me, I was never a heart doc, and I wouldn't ever work on you, if something happened -"

Tony whispered, "I'll be fine, Sunshine."

"Yeah, I know, because you have to be - Tony. I know I don't always tell you -" 

"I know. I've known from the first time I saw you across the room, and you looked up and smirked at me, yeah, just like that. Listen to me, Stephen Strange. I'm not going anywhere. If terrorists and aliens couldn't kill me, a little surgery isn't tough enough to finish me off. I don't think you understand what it means to me that you love me, that I have you to love. I never thought I'd have someone -"

Stephen leaned down over him and kissed him lightly, then gazed into the warm brown eyes and mumbled, "love you, Stark. I'll be right outside, they are the best -"

"Alright, gentlemen." The nurse smiled gently at them and shook her head. "Stephen, he'll be in the best of hands."

"I know." Stephen pressed one last kiss on Tony's forehead, then gave his hand one more squeeze and left the room. He watched as the nurse placed the mask over Tony's face, then the blinds were closed and he dropped into the closest chair and looked over at Rhodey.

"He's a tough bastard, Stephen. He'll be fine, in fact, he'll just look back at it as the best nap he's had in years."

"Yeah, I know. I just -"

"You want to know why I know he'll be okay?"

Stephen stared at his hands and shrugged, then nodded.

"Before, he only had himself to fight for, and now he has you. I've seen him change, Stephen, since the two of you met, he's not as reckless as he was before, he actually sleeps and eats like an almost normal human being..."

Stephen snorted and shook his head. "He's not -"

"No, I know, I said, 'almost normal.'" Rhodey grinned at Stephen and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Honestly, I wasn't sure I'd ever see him truly happy. Well, he is now. He's having the shrapnel taken out finally because he knows he doesn't have to be Iron Man all the time now, he knows he has a life outside of the missions, outside of his work, because you will be there."

"No matter what," Stephen whispered.

 

"They get it all?" Tony mumbled before he opened his eyes, and found Stephen smiling at him.

"Yeah, they got it all, and pieced you back together. It will take you some time to heal, but you won't be setting off metal detectors on your own anymore."

"Well, that's a relief." Tony grinned at him and groaned as he tried to sit up.

Stephen raised an eyebrow and helped him to settle back against his pillows, then gently picked up his hand and held it against his cheek, then let the breath go that he'd been holding and closed his eyes.

"Stephen?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you, just, can you hold me?" Stephen opened his eyes and looked at Tony, and he realized how small he seemed in the bed, how fragile, and so very human. "Please?"

Stephen nodded and slipped out of his shoes, then climbed carefully into the bed next to Tony and let out a sigh of relief as Tony rested his head on his chest, and Stephen let his arms curl carefully around him. "Tell me."

"Tell you what?" Stephen asked quietly.

"Whatever it is you don't want to tell me."

"It's nothing."

"Sunshine."

Stephen rolled his eyes and kissed Tony's matted hair, then whispered, "I was afraid. I didn't realize how much, I mean I knew how I felt about you, but, I didn't - really get it until I couldn't touch you, or even see you for a few hours. I was afraid I wouldn't get to tell you, how much -"

He sighed as Stephen pressed another kiss into his hair, and after a moment his breathing changed, letting him know he had fallen asleep. "I love you too, Sunshine."


End file.
